Articles

The start of a new school year is upon us, but the problems of old still exist. Many poor parents cannot afford school fees, school uniforms, school books and other school equipment for their children. Parents are forced to pay all manner of nonsense education charges and this is wrong.

Gonsalves has destroyed the SVG economy and caused poverty throughout our country. Many poor parents cannot financially support their children's education.

Preschool and primary school are crucial periods in the development of children. Children whose parents cannot afford to send them to preschool or primary school, are being left behind in education and development at this important time in their lives in hindered.

Exam results in recent years have shown that the education of the children of the poor is suffering, because attending school is so expensive. In 2011, SVG had its worst CEE results in history, with 1116 children of the poor and 56 per cent of boys failing.

For the 2012 CEE, roughly 55 per cent of the 1,076 males writing the exams failed and roughly 40 per cent of the 1,043 females failed. Almost 1000 children did not pass and some children scored as low as 5 per cent. These children are victims of a failing education system. Their future is being stolen.

Even after school, what future is there for our children? What is there for our children to aspire to, to encourage them to do well at school?

Unemployment is high in SVG and it is hard to find a job. Businesses are closing down every month and creating even higher unemployment. The economy is so bad that no money is circulating and no jobs are being created.

After 11 years in office, the flagship project of the Gonsalves regime is a jail. That is practically all Gonsalves has to offer our children. What message does that send to children starting school this year; what future does it offer them?

A Green government will build universities for our children. Education will be free from pre-school to university and we will create a world-class, high-quality education system.

Under a Green government, when a child starts school, they will know that if I they do well, university awaits them. They can dream that a degree is possible, a high-paid job is possible, because a Green government will build universities for them.

A Green government will end the apartheid of the outrageous blanket tax and customs duty exemptions granted by the ULP regime to Mustique, Canouan and Taiwan, that equate to hundreds of millions of dollars annually. We will use this tax revenue to build universities for our children.

It is immoral that our children's education suffers, whilst Taiwan and the super-rich of Mustique and Canouan bloat and gorge themselves aided by tax exemptions. As school starts, we must offer our children a future; we must give them inspiration to achieve. A Green government will do that by building three science and technology universities and providing free education from pre-school to university.

Let us wave goodbye to apartheid and usher in universities. Give our children a future.